This whole Sinead O’Connor and Miley Cyrus Business

Before we get started, I need to tell you that I HATE how much Miley Cyrus has been in the media lately. HATE IT. Mostly because I think everything she is doing is for publicity and it’s working. So far I’ve typed her name twice in this post. BUT NO MORE. Well, no more in a second

I want to have a conversation about Sinead O’Connor and Miley Cyrus (three, but I don’t want to say M—‘s name. So I’m not going to. From here on out, for the sake of this post, I’m replacing HER name with something I’d much rather say and see:

Miley Cyrus = Adorable Fluffy Kitten

I won’t even post pictures of Adorable Fluffy Kitten. I will use gifs. Gifs of Adorable Fluffy Kittens (real ones)

Okay so we know that Adorable Fluffy Kitten has been going through an image change in the last year, right? Whether you agree with it or not, this isn’t really what I want to talk about (But for the record, I’m all for women being sexy, pushing the limits, even being controversial to get a message across, but Adorable Fluffy Kitten is not doing that. If you want to argue, feel free! But start with telling me what important message Adorable Fluffy Kitten is telling the world by letting us constantly see her tongue and think about her giving blow jobs. Oh wait, am I the only one thinking that? Silly me.) But I DO want to talk about Sinéad O’Connor’s response, Adorable Fluffy Kitten’s response to Sinéad and the internet war that has ensued.

Sinéad got involved in the Adorable Fluffy Kitten mess because Adorable Fluffy Kitten mentioned one of Sinéad’s videos in a Rolling Stones interview:

ON THE “WRECKING BALL” VIDEO:

It’s the opposite of the VMAs. It’s like the Sinead O’Connor video [for “Nothing Compares 2 U”], but, like, the most modern version. I wanted it to be tough but really pretty – that’s what Sinead did with her hair and everything.

And Sinéad felt she had to respond. Understandably. She basically said this:

Okay it wasn’t exactly that, but her response was AMAZING. I 100% agree with everything in it. Here it is in its entirety if you want to read it. but this:

Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you. I needn’t even ask the question.. I’ve been in the business long enough to know that men are making more money than you are from you getting naked. Its really not at all cool. And its sending dangerous signals to other young women. Please in future say no when you are asked to prostitute yourself. Your body is for you and your boyfriend. It isn’t for every spunk-spewing dirtbag on the net, or every greedy record company executive to buy his mistresses diamonds with.

But, I have one problem with the response, and that is that she said it publicly. Adorable Fluffy Kitten mentioned Sinéad once, in passing, in her interview, and Sinéad had a right to respond, but privately. Send that letter to Adorable Fluffy Kitten, Sinéad. But telling the whole world? Calling Adorable Fluffy Kitten out for everyone to read? Well, kinda seems like a dick move.

How do you EXPECT Adorable Fluffy Kitten to respond? Imagine you’re a 20 year old girl, just had your first sexual experience with a metal ball, Gale from The Hunger Games broke up with you, you have public camel-toe on a daily basis, and your dad is this guy:

And you’re at the top of your game. You are ALL anyone is talking about. You feel amazing. You feel unstoppable. And then this bald woman comes along and says all these things that are….. well, true.

How did we expect Adorable Fluffy Kitten, licker of hammers, grinder of men her dad’s age, to respond? With grace and humility? “Oh crap, you’re RIGHT Sinéad! I AM prostituting myself!” No! Of course she’d lash out in the only way she knew how: like an immature 20-something who isn’t EVER told no, who has been told she is at the top of her game, that she’s unstoppable and she shouldn’t take Shit from ANYONE.

If Sinéad truly cared, she would have sent Adorable Fluffy Kitten something privately. Adorable Fluffy Kitten DID publicly mention her, but, as far as I know, it was one time. Sinéad has a right to respond to what Adorable Fluffy Kitten said, but I think there was a more appropriate way. Maybe if she was doing an interview & someone asked her, “Hey- how did you feel when Adorable Fluffy Kitten called you her biggest inspiration” “Well, I contacted Adorable Fluffy Kitten and explained that while I’m flattered, I think she misunderstood me” Blah. Was anyone, ANYONE actually sitting around thinking, “Wow, Adorable Fluffy Kitten was inspired by Sinéad? She must be more into the weird sex stuff with stuff you can buy at Home Depot than I realized! Go Sinéad! Now I’m going to buy her album because if Adorable Fluffy Kitten is into her, obviously she must be just like her.”

No, no one thought that.

And now it’s devolved into this huge mess. Adorable Fluffy Kitten lashed out on Twitter and posted deranged tweets of Sinéad’s from 2 years ago when she was going through a mental breakdown and called her Amanda Bynes before there was Amanda Bynes. Sinead wrote another letter threatening legal action if she didn’t remove the tweets and turned it into a “Don’t call out the mentally ill” which, of course, is fabulous advice, but just feels so misguided in a Facebook post, responding to a tweet, to a girl who licks hammers and takes her clothes off for Terri Richardson.

(can we talk about him for a RQ second? He totally drives this van, right?)

Bonus points if you remember what this is from

All that to say, I’m not fan of Adorable Fluffy Kitten. I’m not really a fan of Sinéad O’Connor’s, either, but I respect her. And a little bit of that respect has gone away.

You’re right. I totally wrote this post so I had an excuse to post that last gif. Poor kitty.

What do you think about the drama between Sinead O’Connor and the Adorable Fluffy Kitten?

I ALMOST YELLED “CREEPY UNCLE EDDIE” and then I realized I’m at work. Ok, coffee break (with Kitty gifs over).

Jamie

The real problem here is that women’s sexuality is still such a Chinese Finger Trap issue in our society. If you’re more reserved or conservative in your sex life, you’re a prude who hurts the feminist movement by conforming to traditional stereotypes. But if you go to far in the other direction and are more overt or aggressive in your sexuality, you’re a whore who hurts the feminist movement by prostituting yourself to men’s desires. Either way you can’t win.

I’m so torn on both Miley and Sinead. In theory, I’m all for what Miley is doing. Young girls and women are sexualized all the time, and yet when they have the audacity to do something “in your face” sexual, they get crucified. However, I don’t think it’s authentically her, which is where my problem lies. If this situation had a “this is who I am and if you don’t like it you can fuck off” feel instead of a “I’m desperate to change my image and I’m doing this for attention” feel I would be much more comfortable with it. This whole situation seems like Miley’s version of being the girl who makes out with other girls at a party, not because she likes girls, but because guys think it’s hot.

And Sinead tore up a picture of the Pope on live tv because she knew it would be controversial and get people talking, so I don’t love her attitude about the Miley situation at face value. But I’m all for people learning from their past mistakes and trying to help out a person they see going down the same road. But I definitely don’t like her line about “Your body is for you and your boyfriend.” I think it plays in to the “this is what women should and should not be doing with their bodies” issue that’s been our problem for forever.

They both have their positives and negatives in their approach for sure. It’s a tough call either way because it’s such a complicated issue. So…this way basically my super long rambling way of saying that I’m not certain about how I feel…

Sisterpenguin

Yes, Sinead tore up the picture of the Pope to get people talking but she was making a very important point about the continued cover up by the Catholic church of child sexual abuses rather than for self-promotion.

Jamie

That’s true, solid point. If Miley directly set out to use the publicity she’s getting to bring attention to the way women are being represented in the media or the sexual double standard or something like that, it would be different.

ALSO.. she’s 20…. too young for this to be authentically her. 20 year olds are grown up… especially when they grew up in the limelight..

Lucia Higgins

I love this post. That is all.

Tammy

is Miley the new Madonna? In this world of I-wanna-be-famous-let-me-do-a-sex-tape-and-twerk-like-a-stripper era where is she and the next big thing going to do?
I have no issues with owning your sexuality and being sexy if you want. And I think thats what Sinead in a blunt fashion was trying to say. But Miley being the know it all she is had to be….her sweet….self.
All this drama for a record that’s barely been released. I feel like we’ve been on the Miley PR tour for the last year.

I’m very much a fan of Sinead’s music and I like her attitude and the way she worded her letter. I’m pretty sick of the grind in so many music videos by both males and females. Completely over it and unerotic.

yeah i saw that there was a 4th right before this went live.. sigh…. reading now

Colleen

Miley doesn’t deserve the “adorable fluffy kitten” name – maybe gross tongue whore? She is embarrassing to watch as she tries too hard to be uber cool. But no one is going to say no to her, therefore, expect years of insanity. Just say no and close your eyes, ignore her – gross, just plain gross.